Body and Gender in Church History

Body and Gender in Church History

7.5 credits

7.5 credits

Spring semester 2020

Questions concerning body and gender have been widely discussed in both academia and the Church in recent decades. Historically, these questions have been closely interwoven. This course gives an overview of these themes in theology and in the life of the Church, including questions such as: To what extent can the Christian tradition be described as being hostile to the body or sex? How has femininity and masculinity been constructed in the history of the Church? In addition, views concerning celibacy, marriage, homosexuality and female religious leadership are examined by studying how these matters were approached throughout the history of the Church.

On completion of the course the student is expected to:

demonstrate a good overview and in-depth knowledge of the history of Christianity from a gender historical perspective

demonstrate knowledge of and be able to analyze theological perspectives on body and gender in Church history

show the ability to independently and critically discuss central research issues regarding body and gender.